Well tool



D. M. HAMPTON April 3, 1951 WELL TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5J, Z n 2 u 2 93 ,m Z2 pm m T am J HV f .m 2 M .M d A /////,9 G 9.)). m 2 D ATTORNEY April 3, 1951 D. M. HAMPTON WELL TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. l5, 194'? bug HA MP TaN INVENTOR.

'f'To-vmff n iff Patented Apr. 3, 1951 This -inventiorelates :to well tools and euip' ment and more particularlyr to'"appar'a-tiis'"gener-Y ally known to -the'tradej'as mud chasers` The"principalobjectof 'thev invention is to pro- VideV atool of-thecharacterset forthc'onsisting generally of aligned tubular' sections; thev upper tub'ularseotions of thetoolcontaining lexpansible slips,` combined With'a spring loaded Wedgefo'r actuating the slips; Includedrin the vstring of tubular' sections is af series off replaceable 'and interchangeable Weights, contributing to the-foree of "the spring primarily? eii'ective `to 4a tuatefthe slips; Subjacent the weightassemlolyfare tvs/"o or moreqn-Noted i-lnger's;` normally r held in collapsed position by the wall of the'surrounding-pipe lout upon release" Yfromx con'nement`- at fthe 'lower f end of "the latter;V expansion off these u fingers is* eiee; tive to release the Aslips to the action of the spring andY expanding 'Widge te 4arrest further dW-ri Ward movem'ent'fof the tool Y` in` the well.

Another object of the inventionfisftoprovide a toolv adapted:toVV be incorporated "inf 'astring of Wellorfdrill pipe'in thefco'urse of `dril1ing-or pro-u ducing a Well?,I which isf sorcon'structed andfarrangedfthat fin event 'of ithe' twistn'g off-orfpartingof a's'eft'ioiiofftheA pipe-String; the/lower or seveedfsctin will; be Vintereptdami constrain@ against Afurtherdownward `n'iovernfznt 'in the fwell; Whelthel'lp'ivotd -'g f thel 4rielltiol'it `ela'flffd afterf reaching open hole" t`rlease theislps th'ereabov'e'to engage @the casingwalls after wh'ich removal." of, the upper sectonz'fand"` `subsequent retrieval ofthe suspendedhlower section'of pipe maybeected Still-anoth'ei" 'object oi" the"'in-vention'fis topr# videifor thel packing-offici lthe-Welll pipe "top're- .clude upward `VVpassage of Wellifluid or drilling mud`, thek pack-ingmeans` beingoptionallyincluded, ydepending :upon conditions encountered inusingwthfetool'.`

Yet another object ofthe 'inventionis to'provide; .with but minor variations, .at catcher'j for arresting downward"inovernentin 'a well pipe of tools ofvarious'kinds which may be accidentally released as Iby V'thetwisting-off of sections of pipe string in a Well, the said catcher -beingdesigned for adaptation to mud chasera'well plugs orl any other tool Which maybe run into'a well;

With the foregoing objects asparamount this invention' has further reference` tor/certain `features of accomplishment Iwinch-Will become-apr parent asthe description proceeds-taken in connection With-the-accompanying drawingsi where- Ffigl? -1 is@ lfzngiliinalisetional Vieron-well pipe showing the inventionsuspended therein.

l @minet nml 0fgares;

continuringfwith almere -detaiieaqeserieeen fof the* drawings referente primamy made' t@ Figurer wherein nement f l e ldetjsftne fpi'peim affwli eww-meh the trrmtbeymgthe enverr- FiguresZ to?7-inclusivevconsistjof thegtubular f iuXtapQsitine-.d inthe slots 2f, denne@ .cavity for @torsion Serine 42 lt91 1ef2r.1 1Y of; the latter extending 'into a channel 21, tangent to the recess 25 in.

3 one slip while the opposite end lies in a similarly arranged channel in the companion slip. The torsion spring thus imposes a normal outward pressure on the slips, urging them to the extended positions shown in Figure 3.

The slips 22 are held in retracted position against the resistance of the torsion spring 26 by means of a plunger 28, reciprocable longitudinally in the tubular body I8 below the slips. The upper end of this plunger engages in recesses 29 in the arcuated faces of the slips and is slidable through a sleeve 30 whose upper end is slotted at a (Fig. 6) to receive a tool for installing the same in the body I8 and for withdrawing the same therefrom.

The collar 30 serves as a guide for the plunger 28 as well as an abutment yfor a coiled spring 3I therebelow, the lower end of the latter bearing against a washer ,32 on the upper end of a rod 33 and exerting a downward force on the latter. Resisting the downward pressure of spring 3I on the rod 33 is a pair of fingers 34, each pivoted on a pin 35 and disposed in elongated, diametrically opposed slots 36 in the tubular body I8.

The lingers 34 are held in collapsed or folded positions in the slots 36 by their confinement in *the well pipe I0. In the event a section of well pipe is twisted oli below the surfaceor caused by some means to become separated from the upper sections, the lingers 34 of the catcher will expand into open hole when the latter is lowered to a point below the break in the pipe, since they will be out of the restraining influence of the pipe. When this occurs, the force exerted by the spring 3| will act to urge therod 33 downwardly,

causing the beveled head 31 on the lower end of the latter to transfer the pressure of the spring to inwardly directed lugs 38 on the upper ends of .the fingers 34, urging the lower ends of the latter outwardly in opposite directions, as shown in Figure 3.

l Following actuating of the fingers 34 in the manner described, the upper end of the plunger 28 recedes from its position in the recesses 29 ,of the slips 22, in the manner to be presently explained, thereby releasing the latter to the actionof the torsion spring 26. The slips spring `outwardly and engage the walls of the well pipe I0 and arrest the catcher and any other tool or instrument carried thereby, in its descent in the well pipe. The catcherv and suspended tools and .instruments are thusheld until retrieved in any conventional manner.

s By virtue of the peculiar design of the head 31 carried on the lower end of the trip rod 33, the lingers 34 are returned to collapsed position in ,the s lots 36 immediately after they are tripped rin the manner decribed. The lugs 38 of the 1ingers fall into the annular recess 39 above the head 31 as the fingersv fall back into relative parallelism in the slots 36 by their own weight and when the catcher is retrieved, the lingers may be 'reset by raising the rod 33 to again dispose the head 31 above the said lugs 38 and again coniining the fingers 34 in the well pipe.

4 During normal movement of tools in a well, the tools are frequently subjected to severe shocks. In the absence of some agency to prevent, the spring 3I may yield to such shocks to an extent suiiicient to release the plunger 28 from its engagement with slips 22 and permit the same 'to expand. Such an eventuality is obviated by 'a small coiled spring'40, situated in an axial bore 4I in the plunger 28 and whose lower end bears Kon a head 42. carried by a stem 43 on the upper end of the trip rod 33.' The lower end of the bore 4I is closed by a cap 44, preferably welded in place.

It is apparent that when the fingers 34 are in collapsed position and conned in the well pipe I0, the rod 33 will not yield to any downward force. Accordingly, the force of spring 40 will tend to keep the upper end of plunger 28 in engagement with slips 22 as against any jars or shocks to which the tool may be subjected in the normal movements of well tools in the well pipe aside from actual performance expected of the catcher.

The bore 4I which contains the small spring 40 is greater in length than the spring but this difference is made up by the stem 43. When the ngers 34 are actuated as described, and the rod 33 moved downwardly by the force of spring 3|, the energy of spring 40 is expended, hence, it is no longer effective to urge the plunger 28 operatively towards the slips 22, therefore it recedes under its own weight from engagement with the slips to release the latter as described.

When the tool is to be withdrawn from the well, together with drill pipe or other equipment to which it is attached, a conventional fishing tool may be employed. Upward movement will of course be exerted rst on the upper body section I8 which will restore the slips 22 to their original contracted position and the trip lingers 34 will have assumed a parallel position in the slots 36 so that they may be brought again within the confines of the well pipe I0 and will not interfere with the withdrawing operation of the tool and attendant pipe.

In Figures 8 to 1l inclusive, is shown a slight modification of the tool just described. Referring to Figure 8, it will be observed that the upper tubular body section 49 is provided with longitudinal aligned slots 50 which slidably receive the ears or projections 5I of a plate or disc 52, the latter being slidably disposed in the body section 49. To the projections 5I are aixed by means of screws 53, the upper ends of slips 54.

The slips 54 are held in contracted position by a retaining member 55 whose upper end is annularly recessed to receive the lower ends 56 of the slips (Fig. 10) and whose lower end is tapped and threaded to receive the upper end of a rod 51, the latter being provided with an adjusting nut 58. This rod passes through a ring 59, welded to the interior of a body section 60 intermediate the upper section 49 and a lower body section 6I and terminates in a head 62 within said lower section 6I. Compressed between the ring 59 and head 62 is a coiled spring 63 whose function is to impose a downward thrust on the rod 51 to effect disengagement of the slip retaining element 55 from the lower ends of slips 54, releasing the latter to the action of a spring 64, disposed in a cavity 65 in a wedge 66 and which exerts upward pressure against the plate 52, causing the same to travel upwardly in the body section 49 eiiecting expansion of the slips 54 by virtue of their sliding engagement with the tap'- ered walls of the wedge 66.

The lower body section 6I is provided with opposed, longitudinal slots 61 in which are disposed lingers 68 which serve as trips for the slips 54 when the tool has traveled downwardly in the well pipe to bring the fingers into open hole.

The lingers 68 are held normally within the confines of the casing and their inwardly directed ends 69 bear against the lower end 13 and support the rod 51 against downward pressure of spring 63. However, in event the pipe or drill stem is twisted off below the tool, the ngers t0, by virtue of their pivotal engagement at i I with the lower body section 9i, will spring outwardly when they reach open hole, permitting the rod 5l to be thrust downwardly by spring 63, causing the slip retainer 55 to be pulled downwardly out of engagement with the lower ends 59 of the slips 5d. When this occurs, spring will become eiective to exert an upward thrust against the plate 52, pulling the slips upwardly over the tapered surface of the wedge E5, urging them to expanded position to engage and grip the walls of the well pipe to arrest further downward movement of the tool and attendant elements.

By elongating the slots 6l' in which are pivoted the lingers E8, the ifingers may assume an inu verted `position or nearly so and held in such position by downward pressure of spring 63 in order that the tool may be retrieved through the well pipe by conventional means.

Either of the two forms of the invention described is used in conjunction with the artculated member interposed between the packing assembly and tubing catcher (Fig. 1) and which consists of a plurality of annular weights 12 strung on a cable 73 which latter is anchored at each end in the upper and lower elements of the articulated member in any suitable manner, as by babbitted sockets. When the catcher is dropped into a well pipe with the packing and weight assembly in attendance, the exibility of the latter enables the same to follow the catcher through crooked :pipe and the added weight contributed thereby imposes the force needed to propel the slips of the catcher into holding engagement with the wall of the pipe, once the trip fingers of the tool emerge from the lower or severed end of the pipe, releasing the slips for operation.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification, and such modication as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit. and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A well tool including in combination with a pipe string adapted to be released in an open ended well pipe, a packing assembly, a body in tutubular body, a plurality of interchangeable` weights in longitudinally aligned relationship on wire line for accelerating the expanding acn of said slips.

2. In a well tool adapted to be dropped in an open ended well pipe, a body in tubular sections, the upper of which carries springt loaded expansible slips, a well packing member detachably connected to the upper end of said body means under spring tension for holding said slips in inoperative position, means conned within said well pipe operative upon release from its lower end to yield said slip holding means to the action of its spring to release said slips, means for eX- panding said slips against the walls of said well pipe to arrest downward travel of said tool in said pipe, a wire line connected at its upper end to said well packingF member and at its lower end to the upper end of said body, a plurality of in terchangeable weights strung on said wire line for accelerating the descent of said tool in said well pipe and for setting said slips in the wall of the latter subsequent to 'the expanding action thereof.

DONALD M. HAMPTON.

SETE@ The following references are or record in the le oi this patent:

UNTE.) STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,185,116 Mack May 30, 1916 1,271,770 Reeves July 9, 1918 1,581,442 Hawkins Apr. 20, 1926 1,670,964 Hay et al. May 22, 1928 1,767,286 Hinderliter June 24, 1930 2,122,080 Wisdom June 28, 1938 2,146,219 Knox Feb. '7, 1939 2,251,125 Gardner July 29, 1941 2,411,667 Mowrey Nov. 26, 1945 

